Infectious laugh, intense,
risk-taker and big heart
Richard grew up in the Elkridge area of Maryland where he attended public schools, graduating from Long Reach High School in 1999. He was raised by parents Richard and Blanche Dymond, along with a sister Kristie.
When he was young he was playful and rambunctious with the ability to get along with everyone. The family spent one week every summer going to the beach where Richard made new friends very easily.
He played Little League baseball and roller hockey but soon focused more on activities like riding a four-wheeler and dirt bikes. “Anything with wheels,” his father, Richard said. He was an average student that was always more mechanically inclined.
He enjoyed deer hunting and watching the Ravens and the Orioles games.
Not until he was about 18 years old did Richard show any signs of addiction. His parents noticed changes soon after he returned home from Motorcycle Mechanics Institute for training in Orlando, Florida that something was wrong.
Richard worked for a short time repairing motorcycles but decided to get his CDL license so he could drive tractor trailers, which he did for a while. He was a “jack-of-all-trades,” according to his mother, Blanche. In 2015 Richard started his own landscaping business in which he excelled and took great pride. Creation of Dymond Landscaping was proof he could do anything he put his mind to doing.
He met his wife, Amber, in 2010 and spent the next five years sober while becoming a father to Richard J. Dymond Jr. “RJ” and Jeffrey Pario Dymond “JP”. He loved his family very much. However, a health incident in 2015 set him back. Eventually, he split with his wife before going into a rehabilitation program in 2016, just months before his death.
Since his passing, Richard’s parents joined a grief group with others who have lost loved ones from overdose. They have also participated in the annual Overdose Awareness Day for the last three years. Blanche collects clothes and toiletries to donate to halfway homes in the area.
Richard’s parents Blanche and Richard provided information for this profile.
Feb. 3, 1982 – Nov. 1, 2016
Age 34
Lived with addiction 16 years
